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Quick Hits: August 21, 2018
1) Below is the Flyers full camp schedule in September. Practices are subject to change for off days, off-ice only work, etc. The Flyers once again start the regular season on the road, visiting the defending Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights on opening night (Oct. 4) and then traveling to Denver to play the Colorado Avalanche (Oct. 6) before returning to Philadelphia to prepare for the home opener on Oct. 9 against the San Jose Sharks.
Sept. 9-11: Rookie Camp
Sept 12 (6 p.m. EDT): Rookies Game vs NY Islanders Rookies, Northwell Health Ice Center's Al Arbour Rink in East Meadow, New York.
Sept. 14-15: Flyers Training Camp begins at Skate Zone, Voorhees, NJ
Sept. 16: Preseason Game @ NYI (Nassau Coliseum)
Sept. 17: Preseason Game vs. NYI (Wells Fargo Center)
Sept. 18: Preseason Game @ NYI (Barclay Center)
Sept. 19: Preseason Game @ NYR (Madison Square Garden)
Sept. 20: Training Camp practice at Skate Zone, Voorhees, NJ
Sept. 21: Preseason Game vs. NYI (PPL Center, Allentown)
Sept. 22-23: Potential practice days, Skate Zone, Voorhees
Sept. 24: Preseason Game vs. BOS (Wells Fargo Center)
Sept. 25-26: Potential practice days, Skate Zone, Voorhees
Sept. 27: Preseason Game vs. NYR (Wells Fargo Center)
Sept. 29: Preseason Game @ BOS (TD Garden)
2) The new edition of the FlyerBuzz offseason prospect podcast series on Flyers Radio 24/7 features interview with @NHLFlyers goalie prospects Felix Sandström and Matej Tomek. In the final segment, Brian Smith and I discuss how a hiatal hernia set back Sandström's season last year but why the Flyers organization remains high on his potential.
Download the podcast here (or, if you are region-blocked from accessing the Flyers Radio 24/7 site, it is available here).
3) Today in Flyers History: After 10 seasons in the organization, spent entirely in the NHL after being drafted in the third round (32nd overall) of the 1970 Draft, the Flyers traded Bob "the Hound" Kelly to the Washington Capitals on August 21, 1980 in exchange for a 1982 third-round draft pick (Bill Campbell).
Although primarily an energy-line specialist and agitator during his NHL career, Kelly (who had a 22-goal, 46-point season for the Flyers in 1976-77 and had 14+ goals five times in his Flyers career) was asked to play a more offense-oriented role with the Capitals. The 30-year-old responded with a career-best 26 goals and 62 points in 1980-81 under head coach Gary Green.
Kelly soon became unhappy in Washington, however. After years of winning under Fred Shero and then (after a short time with an overmatched Bob McCammon behind the Flyers bench in 1978-79) Pat Quinn, Kelly was in for a culture shock on a Capitals team that had a losing record and players who didn't seem all that bothered by it. The next year, he clashed with the late Bryan Murray after Murray took over as head coach.
Rather than trying to latch on elsewhere and try to prolong his career to seek the coveted 1,000 games milestone, Kelly opted instead to retire at age 32 under his own terms. He finished with 837 regular season games, 101 playoff games, two Stanley Cup rings and the 1975 Stanley Cup winning goal to his credit.
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